The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-06-18

chain made by a count, who loved and
was beloved by sister of Frederick the
Great, and was sentenced to lifelong inn
prisonment. The chain was carved from
single stick of wood; it was very long
each link ending in sort of spoon. 1t
suggested to N. that he intended to show
to the world that, though in chains, he
was still spoons upon his lady love. Here
was also an arrangement by which the
prisoner was held up and burned under
the arms, by means of wisps of straw till
he confessed. That was done as late as
1853 (?), and yet people talked Of the Blue
Laws of Connecticut Why, they were
rose-colored in comparison with those OF
this civilized land in the present century.
In the Old Tower, which is said to have
been built by the Romans (old towers at
least partly built by the Romans are as
common here, as our houses in which
Washington has slept, are at home), the
"Iron Virgin" has place. You are shown
the spot where the prisoner sentenced to
her embraced had to lieSwithout food and
water two days and nights before his
death that he might mediate upon his
sins. Near him was the "poor sinners
bell" which the guide struck for us to
hear; it has a solemn, hollow sound; this
was tolled every few minutes to prevent
any sleep coming to ease the poor wretch.
This is different from our treatment of
murderers. Ours have rather good time
Of it, all the delicacies OF the season to eat
and to drink, and crowds of nice young
Sunday-schoolt teachers, and pretty, senti-
mental admiring young women who flock
to them with flowers, pseudo-religion and
the charms of their society. Here in
Nuremberg if he even tried to speak and
tell his woes he was "jabbed" with spike.
On the third day, as by that time he was
supposed to be properly penitent and to
thoroughly realize his position, he was
taken from the "Iron Virgin" This is a
huge figure of woman. 1t was made in
1450, and wears the costume of that
period. She wears a mantle over big
iron hoops; her iron hood almost covers
her smiling, welcoming face. The body
was opened to show us; it is very heavy,
lined with wood, in which are put long,
knives, two very long ones
to enter the eyes and pierce the brain,
and hundreds for the naked body of the
poor victim, who has been waiting for
her embrace, in the same room with her.
for two days and nights; how endless
they must have seemedl He is taken to
Der arms, and the heavy doors, with their
cruel, awful knives, are closed upon him.
No words can describe it. After few
hours the doors we're opened and the
body fell through trap door into
quicklime grave below. This instrument
was only used to punish double murders
The last witch, or rather wizard, pub
licly burned, was man in 1894. The
last death on the wheel was in 1900. The
last man burned under the arms to extort
confession was las above said) in 1858.
The last who endured the fortunes of the
rack and thumbscrew, the Spanish donkey
and the cradle, were a man and his wife,
servants at the castle, who were accused
OF theft. They were thus tortured, the
woman dying in two days; the man lived
a hopeless, suffering cripple for more
than two neutrality-suspicious. Hart
ford Times.